It’s been almost eight years since I was last in Delhi. It’s a city that I’ve grown to love. This is my third visit and I’m really looking forward to seeing some familiar faces as well as meeting many new friends.
I’m wondering if it will feel strange not cycling while I’m in India this time around. My last two visits were all about riding. Those visits were part of an initiative to begin Bike for Bibles in Delhi. Cycling in India is an adventure, maybe even an extreme sport. One thing that will be easier is not having to drag a bike box around the airport.
Girls off the Streets
While I’m in India this time around I’ll get to see some of the work SIMaid is doing through their Girls off the Streets project. SIMaid is working to bring hope and healing to women who have been released from forced prostitution. It’s vital work and I’m looking forward to seeing how they’re helping to restore lives.
After seeing what’s being done in Bangladesh, I’m confident that I’ll be hearing about changed lives and restored hope. I’ll also hear about the heartache that has marked so many lives. How can trust be restored when a woman has been betrayed and abandoned?
I’ll try to keep updating you with what I’m doing and experiencing but n the mean time please take a few moments to explore the Girls off the Streets website.
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The song might be all about leaving your heart in San Francisco but I left my heart in India. I first visited India back in 2003 and cycled with some amazing people as part of Bike for Bibles there. We rode from Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, to Delhi. I visited again in 2005 and cycled from Delhi to Chandigarh.
India is an incredible country that must be experienced to begin to understand the attraction it holds. The colour, the sights, sounds, smells, the most amazing food and some truly wonderful people.
One of my Indian friends just asked me on Facebook when I’m heading back to Delhi. It’s been over six years since I was last there and I would love to be able to jump on a plane and head back for a month or so. If money and time weren’t an issue I’d book a ticket today.
Unfortunately I’m not likely to return any time soon. I’ll have to be happy with some amazing memories for the time being but one day I hope I can get back to Delhi and explore even more of that amazing country.
I can’t imagine calling anywhere but Perth home but India is constantly calling as a place to visit.
I’m wondering if there are places you’ve been that you’d like to visit again. What part of the world holds a special place in your heart? Has the travel bug bitten you or are you happy to stay home?
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Australia is certainly tasting success in cycling at the Commonwealth Games currently being held in Delhi, India. Earlier today I watched Rochelle Gilmore grab a Gold Medal in the women’s road race and a short time ago Australia claimed more gold thanks to Allan Davis and his win in the men’s road race.
The racing is taking place half a world away yet I’ve been able to keep up to date thanks to television and online coverage. It’s been amazing to watch some of the world’s best cyclists competing on some of the same streets I’ve cycled during my visits to India. Of course they didn’t have to negotiate the cars, auto-rickshaws, bicycles, pedestrians and the many other categories of vehicles and wildlife that make up Indian traffic and give it such a wonderful, unique flavour.
While I’ve never won gold, I was awarded some silverware in Delhi back in 2003. That was the first time I’d ever met the Honourable Chief Minster of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit. The photo in this post shows her awarding me a silver platter at the end of a ride from Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, to Delhi. The ride promoted Peace and Harmony within India and was arranged through the Bible Society of North West India.
Watching the games has me yearning for another visit to India. It’s a country that I’ve only visited twice and each time only for a couple of weeks, but it’s a country I’ve grown to love. That’s made it quite sad for me when I’ve seen reports that have unfairly criticised Delhi and India’s efforts to host the Commonwealth Games.
I’ve been especially disappointed by those who have sought to make jokes at the expense of Sheila Dikshit’s name (pronounced Dixit). I wonder if they’d be so keen to laugh at this incredibly gracious woman if they knew a little more about her. Ms Dikshit holds a Master of Arts degree. She is also the recipient of Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, from the University of Delhi. She was married into the family of Shri Umashankar Dikshit, a noted independence activist and a former Governor and Union Cabinet Minister. That’s just for starters.
She represented India on the U.N. Commission on Status of Women for five years (1984–89). In Uttar Pradesh, she and her 82 colleagues were jailed in August 1990 for 23 days by the state government when she led a movement against the atrocities being committed on women. Electrified by this, hundreds of thousands of citizens all over UP joined the movement and courted arrest. Earlier, in the early 1970s, she was chairperson of the Young Women’s Association and was instrumental in the setting up two of most successful hostels for working women in Delhi.
She is also the Secretary of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. The trust has come to play a leading role in promotion of international understanding. It presents the Indira Gandhi Award for Peace, Disarmament and Development and Organizes conferences on issues of the global concern. – Wiki
I’ve had the honour of meeting Sheila Dikshit on both my visits to India, in 2003 and 2005, and far from being someone who should be ridiculed, she is a courageous woman who should be admired and held up as an example of service for others.
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There is something enormously satisfying about placing a book on a bookshelf. A book you’ve read. A book you’ve enjoyed.
When you remove the bookmark for the final time, close the book, and find a place for it amongst other books you’ve read, there’s a sense of accomplishment.
There’s also a sense of sadness that the story in which you’ve immersed yourself has come to an end. What happens now? Where did the characters go? What did they do after that? That’s especially the case when the book is based on fact. If the book is pure fiction then there isn’t necessarily a life after the book. The characters have lived within that story and now the story has ended. If the book is based on real people then there are unresolved issues. What now?
I finished reading Shantaram today. While it’s a fictional novel, the characters and situations are based on real people and circumstances. Most of the book is based in India, which is what drew me to the story originally. It’s a raw book and at 932 pages it’s a long book.
I don’t make nearly enough time for reading so I’ve been working my way through this epic for a long time. It’s a great story but not for the feint hearted. If you want to let your mind wander into a strange and exotic world, consider grabbing a copy of the book, and get ready for an amazing ride.
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I’ve been so busy recently with moving offices that I haven’t had the opportunity to reply to many of the comments readers have left here or get involved in conversations through this blog. I thought I’d try to spark things by listing a few things I’ve done that you probably haven’t.
While you may find one or two things on the list that you’ve done I sincerely doubt that you’ve done all ten. 🙂
I’m hoping that you’ll come up with a few of your own in the comments section of this post or that you’ll write a similar post on your own blog and link back here. If you’ve done any of the things on my list let me know.
I’ll just list the ten things and leave it to you. If you have questions about any of the items in the list, feel free to ask.
Ten things I’ve done you probably haven’t
1. Cycled across Australia five times.
2. Escaped a country when rioting and looting in the capital became widespread. (Haiti)
7. Interviewed at least seven Australian Idol finalists and winners.
8. Preached at a cathedral in India.
9. Been mentioned at least twice in Australia’s Federal Parliament.
10. Cycled up and down an aisle at K-Mart in Miami, Florida.
So there you are. Now it’s over to you.
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There is something enormously satisfying about placing a book on a bookshelf. A book you’ve read. A book you’ve enjoyed.